Teams really have not needed to pass much on the Aggies and the numbers may be a little deceiving ranking 28th in the nation in pass defense. Cornerback Davon House is a former teammate of current Ohio State target Josh Shaw. House leads the team with two of the five interceptions the team has. Even with the decent yardage numbers teams have struck via the air for 11 touchdowns through eight games.

The Ohio State passing game should be in for its second straight solid outing. DeVier Posey seems to be on the same page as Terrelle Pryor and that means troubles for the Aggie defense. Throw in the ability of Dane Sanzenbacher to work his way open and the increased visibility of Ray Small running routes... If there is a game where the Buckeyes might throw to the tight end it would be this game going against an undersized back seven.

Iowa Linebackers

2

Ohio State Running Backs

NMSU is small at linebacker with both Ross Conner and Jason Scott checking in at under 6-foot and Jamar Cotton being listed at 6-foot even in the press guide. One would have to think that the backers should be able to cover space by lacking size but that is just an assumption on a run defense that ranks in the bottom ten percent of the NCAA.

Did anyone expect Jordan Hall to be a potential starting running back during his freshman season? Well if injuries continue to slow Dan Herron and Brandon Saine you could see that. The good news is that Hall has been a great surprise after being pressed into duty. Jermil Martin has become a fan favorite after limited carries but should find his way onto the field. The other big question will be if this is the week we all see Jaamal Berry after a hamstring injury has delayed his debut 8-plus weeks and counting.

Iowa State Defensive Line

2

Ohio State Offensive Line

Continuing with the undersized theme the defensive line for NMSU is on the small side too with no player standing over 6-foot-4 on the two deep on the line. Pierre Fils is the best of the bunch coming off the left end but keep an eye on Donte Savage coming off the right just in case the Buckeyes pay too much attention to Fils who leads the team in sacks with six.

The Ohio State offensive line continues to try and fill in pieces as injury runs rampant in the front five. While nobody would like to admit that this game is going to be a pushover, look for the Buckeyes to roll in two lines worth of players to try and a) find the best five to go forward and b) try to give some of the starters a bit of a blow to heal up. Michael Brewster has played injured for the last two weeks and was given a break at center by Jim Cordle last week. The Buckeyes are going to need to be as healthy as possible going into next week with Penn State on the docket.

When Iowa has the ball...

Rushing Offense: 119.2 Ypg. (94th)

Passing Offense: 230.6 Ypg. (47th)

Scoring Offense: 24.1 Ppg. (T-86th)

Rushing Defense: 85.4 Ypg. (3rd)

Passing Defense: 168.7 Ypg. (11th)

Scoring Defense: 11.2 Ppg. (4th)

Iowa Skill Positions (QB/WR/TE)

4

Ohio State Defensive Backs

Quarterback Trevor Walls is more than just a Waverly (Ohio) native but he is a pretty good quarterback to boot. He splits time with Jeff Fleming under center on a passing offense that is still trying to find its own. Todd Lee leads the receivers with 18 receptions and 208 yards. Of the four passing touchdowns for the Aggies, no receiver has caught more than one and only three receivers have more than a ten yard per catch average.

This game has all the makings of a trap game for the Ohio State pass defense after looking at the statistics for the Aggie passing game. Look for Jermale Hines and the rest of the secondary to come in extra hyped rather than on their heels knowing that this is a perfect opportunity to shine on the big stage. Kurt Coleman has forced six turnovers in seven games played and smart money has the senior captain forcing at least one turnover in this game. There will be an opportunity to roll in depth during the 60 minutes of this game with the Aggies likely being forced into the pass as the game winds on.

Iowa Running Backs

5

Ohio State Linebackers

The Aggie run game is listed somewhere in the middle of the NCAA and it all starts with Seth Smith, a running back who has 700-plus rushing yards but has only hit pay dirt one time. Smith averages more than 4 yards per carry but has had to pick up the slack for Marque Colston who is out indefinitely with a suspension. Both quarterbacks have a pair of touchdown runs on the season, and when four of eight rushing TDs come from the signal callers, that is not a good thing.

This could get ugly very fast, a top ten nationally ranked run defense going against a running game that has no identity. Ross Homan and the rest of the linebackers have been beyond stingy versus the run and this is the kind of game when you factor in sack yardage by the line that could be an "under 50" kind of game. Plays will still be funneled through Brian Rolle in the middle but look for Homan and Austin Spitler to play big. This is the kind of game where the twos should also see some time out there as the Bucks try and sharpen the edges for the final three games.

Iowa Offensive Line

5

Ohio State Defensive Line

The Aggie offensive line has four 300 pounders up front and Seioli Fakalata is the biggest of the bunch at right guard at 313 pounds. The line has yielded 14 sacks so far this season going against mostly WAC competition so there have been some protection issues so far this year. It will take a performance unlike any other for this line to keep the Ohio State defensive line out of their kitchen.

The Ohio State defensive line has had little trouble this year (save Purdue) and is primed for one of those kinds of games where they will have the Aggie QB tandem running for their lives. Nathan Williams has seen more and more time playing on the line the same time as Thad Gibson and they are just about unblockable. If the Aggies are not able to find quick outlets or set up a screen it could be a very bad day for them. Of course Cameron Heyward and Doug Worthington are nobody to sneeze at either and the Buckeyes will look to confuse the Aggies with sets that they don't encounter much in West Coast football.

Special teams matchups...

Net Punting: 38.36 Avg. (19th)

Punt Returns: 7.77 Yds/Ret (79th)

Kickoff Returns: 20.62 Avg. (84th)

Field Goals: 71% 15-21

Net Punting: 36.87 Avg. (37th)

Punt Returns: 8.6 Yds/Ret (67th)

Kickoff Returns: 24.14 Avg. (26th)

Field Goals: 65% 15-23

Iowa Special Teams

2

Ohio State Special Teams

Kicking and punting duties are handled by Kyle Hughes but pay special attention to the Aggie returners. Both Tonny Glynn and Marcus Anderson check in at 5-foot-8 (maybe) and have speed to burn from their return positions. If this gets into a point of going for three then the Aggies are flipping a coin with Hughes going 6-11 this season to date (one kick attempted by another kicker).

Special teams are just not there yet for the Buckeyes with certain aspects looking good and others still lagging. Aaron Pettrey's accuracy still has to be a concern. The senior kicker has unlimited range but it seems as if angles are messed up. The Buckeyes have been strong in kickoff returns but how many times are the Buckeyes going to receive a kickoff in this game?